Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken

A whole roasted chicken on an oval platter, garnished with lemon wedges and parsley, set on a blue and white patterned table with a folded napkin, fork, extra lemon slices, and parsley nearby.

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Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken

This lemon garlic roasted chicken is hands-down one of my favorite ways to cook a whole chicken. It’s packed with vibrant, citrus and garlic flavor and the meat always turns out perfectly tender and juicy. With barely any prep or fancy ingredients, this almost-effortless recipe never fails to impress – even on a busy weeknight.

Servings: servings

Calories: 460kcal

Ingredients

1 whole chicken about 4 - 5 pounds
1/4 cup dairy free butter
1/4 cup lemon zest 2 lemons, zested
4 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Prep your chicken. Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Remove any giblets or packets from the cavity of the chicken and pat the skin and cavity dry with paper towel.
Season the chicken. In a small bowl, combine the dairy free butter, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Use a fork to mash the ingredients together to form a compound butter.
Using your fingers to gently lift the chicken skin, spread the mixture in a thin layer between the skin and meat. Then, rub any remaining on the outside of the chicken.
Roast your chicken. Place the chicken into a large baking dish or skillet and cook the chicken in the oven for about 1 hour - or until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F and the juices run clear.
Baste the skin with drippings about halfway through cooking, and again with about 15 minutes left, to encourage browning.
Carve and serve. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Nutrition